The Board has remanded the case for further development due to procedural issues and to consider revised rating criteria.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on service connection by aggravation of a pre-existing condition, but additional evidence is needed to determine if the current disability warrants an initial compensable evaluation or if it should be rated under the revised criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of injury to the right 4th finger, fracture of the right 5th metacarpal
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 7, 2003
- Citation
- 0315037
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0315037.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral recurrent tinnitus is granted. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the current tinnitus arose in service, and resolves all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's right hand disability, characterized by a strain with mild peripheral neuropathy of the right 5th metacarpal, is not considered to warrant an increased rating beyond the current 10 percent assigned.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the appellant's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected residuals of a fracture of the right fifth metacarpal, finding that the evidence did not support a higher evaluation. The appeal was also denied on whether new and material evidence had been received to reopen a claim for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a fracture of the right 5th metacarpal, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran. Service connection was denied for a fracture of the right 4th metacarpal.
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